A while ago I implored Houston wine shops to start stocking Aglianico-based reds, and finally a few are showing up. This one is a broadly-flavored, weighty beauty.
Eye: Nearly saturated black ruby with a hint of brick.
Nose: Fantastic nose that changed over several hours. It started with a pungent, freshly-cracked black peppercorn, earthy character (which took me back to a couple of bottles of 1979 Cakebread Howell Mountain Zinfandel I drank a couple in the early 80s) dominating some deep-toned fruit that seemed almost overripe, but over several hours it morphed into an exotic perfume of spring flower nectar, plums, orange peel, talcum powder and dry rock dust.
Mouth: Dark, rich, mouth-coating flavors of sweet cassis, smoky charcoal/graphite, and sandstone. Nice balance, full body, and a long finish that I thought had a barely perceptible bit of residual sugar.
Score: 91.
Cellar or drink? This is drinking incredibly well now, but it's got the stuffing to last and possibly improve over the next 3 years.
Price/store: $22 at Spec's on Smith.
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